3.3 Hit-ê bīn chhiong-móa thòng-khó͘
Iû-kî tī hit-sî, York Kong-chiok chhut-hiān tī kong-chiòng bīn-chêng. I ū lêng-le̍k, lí-tì, ū éng-hióng-le̍k, ū thian-hūn, pún-sin tō sī chi̍t-ê úi-tāi ê ông-chú, koh tī hoeh-me̍h sī Richard II ê kè-sêng jîn. Hoān-sè in bô hi-bāng York chhú-tāi khó-liân koh gû-gōng ê Henry, tān in tek-khak hi-bāng i lâi chiap-koán kok-ka, chéng-lí loān-kio̍k.
York ū án-ne chhì, soah lâi sí tī chiàn-tiûⁿ, kiat-kó i ê chhù-lāi lâng khai chēx sî-kan teh liû-bông a̍h pī-lān.
M̄-koh, tán hūn-loān kap hoah-hiu kòe-khì liáu-āu, chē tī England ông-chō ê sī hit-ê tī hit-tiûⁿ chhia-piàⁿ tiong-kan kap i tâng-chê chiàn-tàu ê hāu-seⁿ. Chit-ê kok-ka tī i ê thóng-tī hā, koh-chài an-tēng lo̍h-lâi. I tō sī Edward IV: chi̍t-ê koân-tōa, kim-mo͘, hòⁿ-sek, kài ian-tâu, tān iū-koh ke̍k cheng-bêng ê siàu-liân lâng.
Che tō sī Grant tùi Mûi-kùi Chiàn-cheng só͘ ē-tit lí-kái ê ke̍k-hān ah lah.
I ùi chheh taⁿ-thâu, hoat-hiān Hō͘-lí Tiúⁿ khiā tī pâng-keng tiong-ng.
“Góa ū khok-mn̂g neh,” yi kóng, “m̄-koh lí khòaⁿ-chheh khòaⁿ kah sîn khì.” Yi khiā hia, sán-thiu, léng-tām; tō ná Marta hit-iūⁿ, yi ū ka-tī ê iu-ngá hong-keh; chhun-chhut pe̍h chhiú-ńg ê hit-siang chhiú khinx kau-thia̍p tī sok-kiat ê io thâu-chêng; yi ê pe̍h-sek thâu-kin sàn-hoat chhut put-chīn ê chong-giâm; yi ûi-it ê chng-thāⁿ sī he tāi-piáu bûn-pîn ê sióx hui-chiong. Grant hòⁿ-kî, chit sè-kài kám ū pí tōa pēⁿ-īⁿ hō͘-lí tiúⁿ só͘ piáu-hiān chhut-lâi ê, koh-khah kian-tēng ún-tàng ê chu-thài.
“Góa teh bê le̍k-sú neh,” i kóng. “Taⁿ chiah khai-sí, ū khah bān ah.”
“Chiâⁿ hó ê soán-te̍k,” yi kóng. “He hō͘ lâng khòaⁿ tāi-chì khah chai khin-tāng. Khòaⁿ tio̍h ōe-siōng ê sî yi ê ba̍k-chiu kim chi̍t-ē, sòa-loeh án-ne kóng: “Lí sī York a̍h Lancaster?”
“Sī kóng, lí ē jīn-tit chit-tiuⁿ ōe-siōng?”
“Oh, ē jīn-tit. Tī iáu sī si̍t-si̍p hō͘-sū ê sî, góa chhiâng-chāi khì Kok-li̍p Siàu-siōng Koán. Tùi bô siáⁿ chîⁿ, kín kha sng ê góa, he Gē-su̍t Koán un-loán koh an-chēng, koh ū chin chē í-á thang chē.”
Yi bîx-á chhiò chi̍t-ē, ùi chit-chūn ê sin-hūn tē-ūi siūⁿ khí kòe-khì hit-ê siàu-liân, phî-lô, jīn-chin ê ka-tī.
“Góa kah-ì Siàu-siōng Koán, in-ūi he ê kám-kak bē khah su tha̍k le̍k-sú. Só͘-ū hiah-ê Tōa jîn-bu̍t tī in ê ji̍t-chí hoah chúi ē kian-tàng. Taⁿ kan-ta chhun miâ niāx. Kan-ta ōe-pò͘ kap gân-liāu. Hit sî-chūn, góa chhiâng-chāi khòaⁿ tio̍h chit-tiuⁿ ōe-siōng.” Yi kā chù-ì oa̍t hiòng hit-tiuⁿ tô͘. “Chi̍t-ê siōng bô khoài-lo̍k ê lâng.” yi kóng.
“Góa ê gōa-kho i-su jīn-ûi he sī sió-jî bâ-pì.”
“Sió-jî bâ-pì?” yi siūⁿ chi̍t-ē. “Hoān-sè. Góa í-chêng bô án-ne siūⁿ kòe. M̄-koh chāi góa khòaⁿ, he chóng-sī khòaⁿ khí-lâi ke̍k iu-chhiû. He sī góa khòaⁿ kòe siōng-kài chhiû-khó͘ ê bīn – góa khòaⁿ kòe ê bīn chēx leh.”
“Lí jīn-ûi chit-pak tô͘ sī tī bô͘-sat àn í-āu chiah ōe ê?”
“Oh, sī. Chin bêng-hián. I m̄-sī chhìn-chhái chò tāi-chì hit-chióng hêng ê lâng. Chiū i ê phín-keh lâi kóng. I pit-tēng chheng-chhó, hit-lō chō͘e-hêng ū gōa-nī chhim-tāng.”
“Lí jīn-ûi i sio̍k tī hit-chióng ē liông-sim put-an ê lâng?”
“Án-ne kóng chin súi-khùi! Tio̍h. Sī hit-chióng ke̍k-tō͘ kî-bōng boeh-ài siáⁿ, jiân-āu chiah hoat-hiān ūi he hù-chhut ê tāi-kè siuⁿ koân ê lâng.”
“Só͘-í, lí bô jīn-ûi i sī choân-jiân ê pháiⁿ-lâng.”
“Bô; i m̄-sī. Pháiⁿ-lâng bē siū-khó͘, á i hit-ê bīn chhiong-móa khó-phà ê thòng-khó͘.” In tiāmx khòaⁿ hit-tiuⁿ ōe-siōng chi̍t tōa khùn.
“He tiāⁿ-tio̍h sī pò-èng, lí chai lah hoⁿh? Tī hiah té sî-kan sit-khì i ê ko͘-kiáⁿ. Jiân-āu in bó͘ koh lâi sí. Tī hiah té sî-kan toa̍t-cháu i ka-tī kò-jîn ê sè-kài. Khòaⁿ khí-lâi, he tô͘ ná chhiūⁿ Sîn teh chú-chhî chèng-gī.”
“I kám ū teh koan-sim in bó͘?”
“Yi sī i ê thiāu-lāi (祧內) piáu-mōe [yin lāu-pē kap in lāu-bú sī chek-peh hiaⁿ-mōe], in chū gín-á sî tō sio-bat. Só͘-í m̄-koán i sī m̄-sī ài yi, tùi i lâi kóng, yi pit-tēng sī i ê phōaⁿ-lū. Góa siūⁿ, tùi chē tī ông-ūi ê lâng, ū lâng chò-phōaⁿ sī lân-tit ê hok-ūn. Taⁿ góa tio̍h lâi khì ah, khì khòaⁿ góa ê pēⁿ-īⁿ án-chóaⁿ ah. Góa iáu-bōe mn̄g lí, góa boeh lâi mn̄g ê būn-tê neh. Kin-á chá-khí lí ê kám-kak án-chóaⁿ? M̄-koh, lí tùi chi̍t-ê í-keng sí 400 nî ê lâng iáu-koh chiah-nī chhù-bī, che sī chi̍t-ê hui-siông kiān-khong ê sìn-hō.”
Chū i tē-it ba̍k khòaⁿ-tio̍h yi, yi iáu bô sóa-ūi. Taⁿ yi lō͘-chhut chhiánx, pì-sù ê bî-chhiò, siang-chhiú iáu sī khinx sio-tha̍h tī io-tòa khian-á thâu-chêng, sóa-pō͘ kiâⁿ hiòng mn̂g khì. Yi ū chi̍t-chióng chhiau-hoân ê tiām-chēng. Ná chhiūⁿ siu-lú. Ná chhiūⁿ lú-ông.
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3.3 彼个面 充滿痛苦
尤其 tī 彼時, York 公爵出現 tī 公眾面前. 伊有能力, 理智, 有影響力, 有天份, 本身 tō 是 一个偉大 ê 王子, koh tī 血脈是 Richard II ê 繼承人. 凡勢 in 無希望 York 取代 可憐 koh 愚戇 ê Henry, 但 in 的確希望 伊來 接管國家, 整理亂局.
York 有 án-ne 試, 煞來 死 tī 戰場, 結果 伊 ê 厝內人 開 chēx 時間 teh 流亡 a̍h 避難.
毋過, 等混亂 kap 喝咻 過去了後, 坐 tī England 王座 ê是 彼个 tī hit 場 捙拚中間 kap 伊 同齊戰鬥 ê 後生. 這个國家 tī 伊 ê 統治下, 閣再 安定落來. 伊 tō 是 Edward IV: 一个 懸大, 金毛, 好色, kài 嫣投, 但 又閣 極精明 ê 少年人.
Che tō 是 Grant對 玫瑰戰爭 所 會得理解 ê 極限 ah lah.
伊 ùi 冊 taⁿ 頭, 發現 護理長 徛 tī 房間中央.
“我有 硞門 neh,” 她講, “毋過 你看冊 看 kah 神去.”
她徛 hia, 瘦抽, 冷淡; tō ná Marta 彼樣, 她有 ka-tī ê 優雅風格; 伸出 白手䘼 ê hit 雙手 khinx 交疊 tī 束結 ê 腰 頭前; 她 ê 白色頭巾 散發出 不盡 ê 莊嚴; 她唯一 ê 妝thāⁿ 是 he 代表文憑 ê sióx 徽章. Grant 好奇, chit 世界 敢有 比大病院 護理長 所表現出來 ê, 閣較 堅定穩當 ê 姿態.
“我 teh 迷歷史 neh,” 伊講. “今才開始, 有較慢 ah.”
“誠好 ê 選擇,” 她講. “He hō͘ 人 看代誌 較知輕重. 看著畫像 ê 時 她 ê 目睭 金一下, 紲 loeh án-ne 講: “你是 York a̍h Lancaster?”
“是講, 你會認得 chit 張畫像?”
“Oh, 會認得. Tī 猶是 實習護士 ê 時, 我常在去 國立肖像館. 對無啥錢, 緊跤酸 ê 我, he 藝術館 溫暖 koh 安靜, koh 有真濟 椅仔 thang 坐.”
她 bîx-á 笑一下, ùi 這陣 ê 身份地位 想起 過去 彼个少年, 疲勞, 認真 ê ka-tī.
“我佮意 肖像館, 因為 he ê 感覺 袂較輸 讀歷史. 所有 hiah-ê 大人物 tī in ê 日子 喝水 會堅凍. 今 干焦 賰名 niāx. 干焦畫布 kap 顏料. 彼時陣, 我常在 看著 這張畫像.” 她 kā 注意 越向 彼張圖. “一个 上無快樂 ê 人.” 她講.
“我 ê 外科醫師 認為 he 是 小兒麻痺.”
“小兒麻痺?” 她想一下. “凡勢. 我以前 無 án-ne 想過. 毋過 在我看, he 總是 看起來 極憂愁. He 是 我看過 siōng-kài 愁苦 ê 面 - 我看過 ê 面 chēx leh.”
“你認為 這幅圖 是 tī 謀殺案 以後 才畫 ê?”
“Oh, 是. 真明顯. 伊毋是 凊彩 做代誌 彼種型 ê 人. 就伊 ê 品格 來講. 伊必定 清楚, 彼號罪行 有 gōa-nī 深重.”
“你認為 伊屬 tī 彼種會 良心不安 ê 人?”
“Án-ne 講 真媠氣! 著. 是彼種 極度期望 欲愛啥, 然後 才發現 為 he 付出 ê 代價 siuⁿ 懸 ê 人.”
“所以, 你無認為 伊是 全然 ê 歹人.”
“無; 伊毋是. 歹人 袂受苦, á 伊彼个面 充滿 可怕 ê 痛苦.”
In tiāmx 看 彼張畫像 一大睏.
“He 定著是 報應, 你知 lah hoⁿh? Tī hiah 短時間 失去 伊 ê 孤囝. 然後 in 某 koh 來死. Tī hiah 短時間 奪走 伊 ka-tī 個人 ê 世界. 看起來, he 圖 ná 像 神 teh 主持正義.”
“伊敢有 teh 關心 in 某?”
“她是 伊 ê thiāu-lāi (祧內) 表妹 [姻老爸 kap in 老母 是 叔伯兄妹], in 自囡仔時 tō sio-bat. 所以 毋管伊 是毋是 愛她, 對伊 來講, 她必定是 伊 ê 伴侶. 我想, 對坐 tī 王位 ê 人, 有人做伴 是 難得 ê 福運. 今 我著來去 ah, 去看 我 ê 病院按怎 ah. 我猶未 問你, 我欲來 問 ê 問題 neh. 今仔早起 你 ê 感覺按怎? 毋過, 你對 一个 已經死 400 年 ê 人 猶閣 chiah-nī 趣味, 這是 一个 非常健康 ê 信號.”
自伊 第一目 看著她, 她猶無 徙位. 今 她露出 chhiánx, pì-sù ê 微笑, 雙手猶是 khinx 相疊 tī 腰帶圈仔 頭前, 徙步 行向 門去. 她有 一種 超凡 ê 恬靜. Ná 像修女. Ná 像女王.
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3.3
Especially since there, before their eyes, was the Duke of York. Able, sensible, influential, gifted, a great prince in his own right, and by blood the heir of Richard II. They might not desire that York should take the place of poor silly Henry, but they did wish that he would take over the running of the country and clean up the mess.
York tried it, and died in battle for his pains, and his family spent much time in exile or sanctuary as a result.
But when the tumult and the shouting was all over,[Pg 48] there on the throne of England was the son who had fought alongside him in that struggle, and the country settled back happily under that tall, flaxen, wenching, exceedingly beautiful but most remarkably shrewd young man, Edward IV.
And that was as near as Grant would ever come to understanding the Wars of the Roses.
He looked up from his book to find Matron standing in the middle of the room.
‘I did knock,’ she said, ‘but you were lost in your book.’
She stood there, slender and remote; as elegant in her way as Marta was; her white-cuffed hands clasped loosely in front of her narrow waist; her white veil spreading itself in imperishable dignity; her only ornament the small silver badge of her diploma. Grant wondered if there was anywhere in this world a more unshakable poise than that achieved by the matron of a great hospital.
‘I’ve taken to history,’ he said. ‘Rather late in the day.’
‘An admirable choice,’ she said. ‘It puts things in perspective.’ Her eye lighted on the portrait and she said: ‘Are you York or Lancaster?’
‘So you recognise the portrait.’
‘Oh, yes. When I was a probationer I used to spend a lot of time in the National. I had very little money and very sore feet, and it was warm in the Gallery and quiet and it had plenty of seats.’ /
She smiled a very little, looking back from her present consequence to that young, tired, earnest creature that she had been. /
‘I liked the Portrait Gallery best because it gave one the same sense of proportion that reading history does. All those Importances who had made such a to-do over so much in[Pg 49] their day. All just names. Just canvas and paint. I saw a lot of that portrait in those days.’ Her attention went back to the picture. ‘A most unhappy creature,’ she said.
‘My surgeon thinks it is poliomyelitis.’
‘Polio?’ She considered it. ‘Perhaps. I hadn’t thought of it before. But to me it has always seemed to be intense unhappiness. It is the most desperately unhappy face that I have ever encountered—and I have encountered a great many.’
‘You think it was painted later than the murder, then?’
‘Oh, yes. Obviously. He is not a type that would do anything lightly. A man of that calibre. He must have been well aware of how—heinous the crime was.’
‘You think he belonged to the type who can’t live with themselves any more.’
‘What a good description! Yes. The kind who want something badly, and then discover that the price they have paid for it is too high.’
‘So you don’t think he was an out-and-out villain?’
‘No; oh, no. Villains don’t suffer, and that face is full of the most dreadful pain.’
They considered the portrait in silence for a moment or two.
‘It must have seemed like retribution, you know. Losing his only boy so soon after. And his wife’s death. Being stripped of his own personal world in so short a time. It must have seemed like Divine justice.’
‘Would he care about his wife?’
‘She was his cousin, and they had known each other from childhood. So whether he loved her or not, she must have been a companion for him. When you sit on a throne I suspect that companionship is a rare blessing.[Pg 50] Now I must go and see how my hospital is getting on. I have not even asked the question that I came to ask. Which was how you felt this morning. But it is a very healthy sign that you have interest to spare for a man dead these four hundred years.’
She had not moved from the position in which he had first caught sight of her. Now she smiled her faint, withdrawn smile, and with her hands still clasped lightly in front of her belt-buckle moved towards the door. She had a transcendental repose. Like a nun. Like a queen.
[Pg 51]
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